Vaporizing fuel burner



Sept. 4, 1923.

C. A. FRENCH VAPORIZING FUEL BURNER 1 W on w (F. .mflw ;w w. wm w. W

sept. 4, 1923. C. A; FRENCH VAPORIZING FUEL BURNER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 8, 1922 i Lwm /Zmfrlf Franc/u,

Patented ept., 'l, E223.,

unit

STATES eafranr oiu-"ice,

CHARLES A. FRENCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINQI, ASSIGNOR T0 INTERNATIONAL HAR- VESTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILINQIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VAPORIZING FUEL BURNER.

ApplicatiOn filed .Tune 8, 1922. Serial 1\To. 566,713.

To all 'whom it 'maly co'nccm:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. FRENCH, i

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State ofv Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vaporizing Fuel Burners, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to fuel burners and particularly to vaporizing burners especiallyv adapted for use With automotive steam boilers. y

Heretofore burners utilizing liquid fuel have vaporized the fuel by heating it in a coil or other form of retort which causes cracking and deposits heavy, sticky hydrocarbons in the passages; or the fuel has been atomized by an air spray'or atomizing nozzle which produces a fine mechanical division of the fuel but, on burning, deposits carbon in the burner passages and combustion chamber. With either ofk these systems orl methods frequent shut-downs for cleaning the burner are necessary.

It is an object of lmy invention to provide a burner in which the fuel is vaporized in the presence of air, the vaporization being complete before the vapor reaches the combustion zone so that there will be no deposits in either the vaporizing Chamber or vcombustion space and, consequently, a clean, hot, short, blue flame indicative of perfectcombustion will be obtained.

Another object is to provide a heated chamber for the vaporization of the fuel in a combustible mixture and to separate the vaporized and heated mixture from the unvaporized V portion, delivering only thoroughly vaporized fuel to the combustion zone.

attain the above and many other imzp'ortant objects by the embodiment of my inventlon shown in the accompanying draw;

line 2-2 of Fig. 4 is a plan of the top section of the lower part of the burner-grating;

Figs. 5 and 6 are details of burner Sections;

Fig. 7 is a section of the lighting tube for carryirfg fiame from the lower to the upper burner Sections, the section of the figure being taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

lig. 8 shows the bottom protector plate; an

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the air and fuel inlet pipes for the pilot burner.

The formof my invention disclosed in the drawings for purposes of illustration comprises a vaporizing drum 10, upper and lower burner Sections 11, 12 and a pilot or secondary burner 13. In the normal operation of the burner, the lower section 12 heats the vaporizing drum 10 but, when the main burner is shut ofi, the pilot burner 13 keeps the drum hot until the main-burner is again turned on.

w The vaporizing drum has a hollow circular body to which a mixture of fuel and air is supplied through a tangential inlet 14 and has upper and lower central discharge openings 15, 16 in communication with the burner Sections 11 and 12. Air is supplied to theydrum by the air inlet pipe 17 which discharges into a Venturi tube 18 having a fuel nozzle 19 discharging in its throat. The mixture of air and fuel entering at 14 travels circumferentially around the heated drum, the air being heated and the fuel vaporized, the air after it is heated and the fuel after it is vaporizedpassing toward the center of the drum where it enters the distributer tube 20, being directed inward by the deflectors 21 formed in the .wall of the tube. The heated and vaporized mixture then fiows axially through the tube toward the burner Sections 11 and 12. The uppercomposing the burner Sections where it is ignited and burns with a short, intense, blue fiame. Flame from the lower section 12 fiows outward across the bottom of the vaporizing drum and then passes upward through the passages 28 and mixes above the drum with the hot gases from the section 11.

The burner sections 26, 27 are secured to the drum by bolts 29 which also serve to secure the body porti'on 13 of the` pilot burner to the vaporizing drum, the section 27 closing both the burner section 12 and the pilot burner, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The body 13 of the pilot burner which is hollow has a central Outlet 30' and an inlet 31 near its periphery. The cap 27 which closes the pilot burner is spaced therefrom at its periphery to form a narrow opening 32 for the vaporized mixture. The air inlet pipe 33 secured in the opening 31 is closed at its upper end near which it has a side aperture 34 within which the end of a fuel pipe 35 is disposed, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 9. The air and fuel pipes 33 and 35 discharge tangentially into the body of the pilot burner in the same manner that the main fuel and air pipes discharge tangentially into the main vaporizing drum and the vaporized fuel and air leave the pilot Vaporizing body through the central opening' 30 flowing outward through the aperture or slot 32 where they are ignited, the heat therefrom keeping the drum 10 hot and through the fiange 36 transmitting the heat back to the body of the pilot burner to keep it at a vaporizing temperature. The air inlet pipe 33 is connected to the air pipe 33' which extends upward into the air inlet pipe` 17 and is bent rearwardly to catch air fiowing through the pipe 17. A throttle valve 36' for controlling the main burner is disposed in the air inlet pipe 17 beyond its connection with the pipe 33'. When the throttle 36' is open, both the main and pilot burners are in operation, but when the throttle is closed, the supply of air to the main burner only is shut off, the

pilot light continuing to burn, keeping the main drum 10 sufliciently hot to vaporize the fuel'when the main burner is again turned on. A cover plate 37 secured to'the lower end of the drum 10 has a central opening 38 through which flame from a torch or other burner may be applied to heat thev pilot light and drum 10 prior to first starting the main burner. .An opening 39 is provided in the cover plate for purposes of inspection and through which a torch may be applied to ignite the pilot light in case of an emergency or when first startingup. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 7, an ignitlon tube 40 having a plurality of perforations 41 extends through the vaporizing drum and provides means for transmitting flame from the lower burner section 12 or the pilot light to the u per section 11. Referring particularly to ig. 2, it will be noted that the perforations 41 open on the 'side of the tube against which the whirling mixture in the drumrimpinges. This insures the tube 40 always being filled with combustible mixture so that flame may be propagated from the lower to the upper burner Sections. t

The lower section 26 is shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 and has a plurality of lugs 42 on its upper surface and 43 on its lower surface spacing it from the other ring and from the cover plate 27 to provide apertures through which the combustible mixture may flow. Similarly, the cover plate 27 has lugs 44 on its lower face -to provide the slot In the operation of my burner, heat from a torch orother apparatus is applied to the burner through the aperture 38 heating the drums of the pilot light and the main burner until their temperature is sufiicient to'vaporiz'e the fuel. Air under low pressure is then supplied to the pipe 17, the throttle valve 36' being open so that the air flowing into the main drum 10 picks up fuel from the nozzle 19 carrying it into the drum and around its' heated periphery where the air will be heated and the fuel vaporized, the heated air and fuel passing toward the center of the drum and eventually fiowing out through the burner gratings 11 and 12. The mixture flowing out between the rings 26, 27 may then be ignited by heat from a torch through the opening 38 or an igniter maybe inserted through the opening 39. The fiame from the lower section 12 spreads out over the bottom of the drum and passes upward through the pas sages 28. This fiame will ignite the mixture in the pipe 40 which will flash up and ignite the gases flowing out through the upper grating 11. 4VVhen it is desired to .shut down the burner, the throttle 36' will be closed which shuts ofi' the main burner but the pilot light continues to burn, air fiowing through the inlet pipe 33', picking up fuel from the nozzle 35 and discharging it tangentially into the drum 13 where it becomes vaporized and flows out through the central `opening30 and slot 32 and cont-inues to burn. Flame from the pilot burner spreads out over the lower face of the main drum and keeps it sufliciently hot so that the burner may again be started by opening the throttle valve. While the pilot light is burning, the fiame therefrom impinges on the flange 36 and is transmitted back to the body 13 keeping it sutliciently hot to vaporize the fuel.

TWhile I have described one embodiment of my invention in considerable detail, it is to be understood that I do not desire to be limited thereto but claim as my invention all modifications that may fall within the scope of my claims or embodying the general principles set forth therein.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a burner, the combination of a vaporizing drum havin a tangential inlet and an axially discharging outlet, means for heating the drum, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the inlet Whereby it is vaporized by heat from the drum, and a burner connected to the drum and receiving thevaporized mixture from the outlet.

2. In a burner, the combination of a circular vaporizing drum having a tangential inlet and a central outlet, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the inlet, means for heating the drum, means for directing the vaporized mixture to the central outlet, a burner secured to the drum over the outlet and receiving the vaporized mixture, and means for igniting the mixture at the burner.

8. In a burner, the combination of a circular vaporizing drum having an inlet in its Vperiphery and an end outlet, means for heating the drum, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the inlet whereby it will be vaporized by heat in the drum, and a burner,co-axial with the end Outlet and i receiving vaporized] mixture therefrom.

4. In a burner, the combination of Ia cir- 'cular drum having a side inlet and an end outlet, an' air inlet pipe connected to said inlet, a fuel nozzle discharging into said pipe, a main burner connected to the' drum to receive vaporized mixture from said outlet, a secondary burner adapted to heat said drum, a secondary air inlet pipe connected to said first named air inlet pipe and discharging into said secondary burner, and a fuel nozzle for said second burner.

5. In a burner, the combination of a circular drum having a side inlet and an end outlet, an air inlet pipe connected to said inlet, a fuel nozzle discharging into said pipe, a main burner connected to the drum to receive vaporized mixture from said outlet, a secondary burner'adapted to heat said drum, a secondary air inlet pipe connected to said first namedfair inlet pipe and discharging into said secondary burner, a fuel nozzle for said second burner, and a throttle valve in said first named air inlet pipe between the fuel nozzle and connection to the secondary air inlet' pipe. p

6. In a burner, the combination of a circular drum having a side inlet and an end outlet, an air inlet pipe connected to said inlet, a fuel nozzle discharging into said pipe, a main burner connected to the drum to receive' vaporized mixture from said Outlet, a secondary burner adapted to heat said drum, a secondary air inlet pipe connected to said first named air inlet pipe and discharg'ing into said secondary burner, a fuel nozzle for said second burner, means for lighting said secondary burner, and a throttle valve in said first named air inlet pipe between the fuel nozzle and connection to the secondary air inlet pipe.

7. In a burner, the combination of a circular drum having a side inlet and an end outlet, an air. inlet pipe connected to said inlet, a fuel nozzle discharging into said pipe, a main burner connected to the drum to receive vaporized mixture from said outlet, a secondary burner adapted to heat said drum, a secondary air inlet pipe connected to said first named air inlet pipe and discharo'ing into said secondary burner, a fuel nozz e for said second burner, means for lighting said secondary burner, a throttle valve in said first named air inlet pipe between the fuel nozzle and connection tov the secondary air inlet pipe, and means for lighting said main burner from said secondary burner. i

8. In a burner, the combination of a circular vaporizing drum having a circumferentialinlet and top and bottom outlets, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the drum through the inlet, a burner connected to the topy outlet, a burner connected to the lower Outlet, means for igniting the lower burner, and means for igniting the upper burner from the lower burner.

9. In a burner, the combination of a circular vaporizing drum having a circumferential inlet and top and bottom outlets, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the drum through the inlet, a burner connected to the top outlet, a burner connected to the lower outlet, means for igniting the lower burner, means for igniting the upper burner from the lower burner,'and means for directing the products of combustion from the lower burner around the drum.

10. In a burner, the combination of a circular drum having a circumferential inlet and a central outlet on its bottom side, means for supplying a mixture of fuel and air to the inlet, a burner connected to said outlet, a secondary burner for heating said drum, means for igniting saidv secondary burner, and means for directing vaporized fuel and air from the drum to said first named burner.

11. In a burner, the combination of a circular drum having a tangential inlet and top and bottom outlets, top and bottom burners connected to the respective outlets, means for supplying a mixture of air and fuel to the tangential inlet whereby it Will be vaporized by heat from the lower burner as -it travels in a spiral path in the drum towarct the outlets.

12. Ina burner, the 'combinationof a hollow drum having a central Outlet, means for heating the drum, means for supplying a sef mixture of fuel and air thereto, and a grating formed from a plurality of spaced rings secured to the drum in communication with the central outlet.

13. In a burner, the combination of a hollow circular drum having a tangential inlet and a central outlet, means for supplying a mixture of fuel .and air to the inlet, a plurality of superimposed spaced rings forming a burner grating secured at one end to.

'plying a mixture of fuel and air to the inlet,

a plurality of superimp'osed spaced rings forming a burner grating secured at one end to the casing in communication with the outlet, a capl closing the other end of the grating, a second burner for heating the drum, and a perforated firing tube extending through the drum and adapted to transmit fiame from the second burner to the grating to ignite vaporized mixture issuing thererom.

15. In a burner, the combination of a drum having a tangential inlet and centrally disposed top and bottom outlets, burners connected to the respectiveoutlets, means for directing the hot gases from the lower burner around the drum, an air inlet pipe connected to the tangential inlet, a fuel nozzle discharging into the air inlet pipe,

a pilot burner beneath the drum, a second air inlet pipe connecting the first named pipe and pilot burner, a fuel supply pipe therein, a throttle Valve in the first air inlet between the fuel nozzle and second inlet pipe, means for igniting the pilot burner, and means for communicating 'fiame to the top burner.

16. In a burner, the combination of a hollow drum having a tangential inlet and central Outlet, means for heating the drum, means for supplying fuel and air to the tangential inlet, a distributor sleeve in said' Outlet in communication With said drum, and a burner carried by the drum and receiving vaporized mixture from said distributor sleeve.

17. ln a burner, the combination of a hol- 10W body having a central Outlet, an air inlet pipe dis'charging tangentially into said body, a fuel pipe in said inlet pipe, and a burner section secured to the body in communication With said Outlet and having a radial discharge.

18. ln a burner, the combination of a hollow body having a central Outlet, an air inlet pipe discharging tangentially into said body, a fuel pipe in said inlet pipe, aburner plate secured to the body over said outlet and spaced therefrom at its periphery, and a fiange on said body extending into the path of the products of combustion issumg from said burner plate.

In testimony Whereof l affix my signature.

CHARLES A. FRENCH. 

